Some systems rely on semiconductor modules that are made up of one or more insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOSFET) devices, or other types of transistor based devices. Some systems will drive the device gate(s) of a semiconductor module using a specialized gate driver integrated circuit device (IC) that includes fault condition monitoring and/or protection features to prevent the module from being damaged during a fault condition (e.g., accidental short circuit, an over temperature condition, an overvoltage condition, an overcurrent condition, or other fault condition).
For example, a high power automotive drive train typically includes one or more semiconductor modules that act as power switches to control the flow of electrical power to and from an engine. The gate drivers of the semiconductor modules of the drive train may include desaturation protection features, overcurrent protection features, or other types or fault monitoring features that remain active at all times. In the event that the monitoring features identify a fault condition, an engine controller can take action (e.g., open or close a switch) to prevent the fault condition from damaging the semiconductor module.
To ensure compliance with safety requirements (e.g., as per ISO standard 26262), some systems may occasionally (e.g., when starting an automobile) intentionally introduce actual system level failures into the system. Introducing actual system level failures provides a way for some systems to exercise and verify functionality of fault monitoring and protection features in the event that unintentional failures do occur. For example, some systems include additional hardware (e.g., at the printed circuit board level) that, at a risk of damaging the system, injects out of range currents into the system so as to occasionally trigger the overcurrent monitoring and protection features. Additional hardware such as this may increase size, cost, and/or complexity of a system and also risk damaging the system in the event that the protection features fail.